Golf driving mechanism



Patented Sept 11, 1934 GOLF DRIVING MECHANISM Henry E. Hellum and John P. Glish, St. Paul, Minn.; said Glish assignor to said Hellum Application November 20, 1931, Serial No. 576,346

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to a golf driving mechanism and more particularly a member simulating a golf ball to be used in said golf driving mechanism.

There are at present in use several types of coin controlled golf driving mechanisms wherein a lever, plunger, or rotor is constructed with an end thereof formed to simulate a golf ball.

e This end portion is positioned so as to be slightly above a surface upon which the person using the mechanism stands, the lever or rotor being connected with a registering dial with a spring resistance unit associated therewith so that the v dial will register the relative force or blows with which the portion of the member simulating the golf ball is struck.

One type of the mechanism is illustrated in outline in the present illustration, but, inasmuch as this and other similar mechanisms are well known to the art, it is not deemed necessary to show the operating structure or other features of the mechanism itself, since the present invention relates to the structure and method of making the member simulating the ball, and not to the mechanism by which said member operates the registering dial, nor to the coin controlled nechanism which frees said member for operaion.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a View in perspective showing one well known type of golf driving mechanism.

Figure 2 is a plan View of an end portion of the structure shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an edge view of a rotor made in accordance with the present invention mounted upon a shaft.

Figure 4; is a side view of the device shown in Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a laminated block showing the method of building up the material of which the rotor shown in Figures 3 and 4 is made.

Referring to the drawing in detail, a low, boxlike platform 1 is formed to support a person p operating the mechanism. An opening 2 is proto approximately the size of a standard golf ball.

The rotor shaft is operatively connected by mechanism well known to the art and which it is, therefore, deemed unnecessary to illustrate and describe in the present instance, to a recording dial "I which is provided with a spring resistance mechanism, not shown, to offer a predetermined resistance to the operation of the dial so that the relative forces of blows with which the rotor is struck will be recorded by means of the dial 7. A coin slot 8 is provided adjacent the opening 2 and the insertion of a coin in this opening releases the mechanism for operation in a well known manner.

Various types of rotors have been used in this and similar golf driving mechanisms, and a large number of different materials have been employed in attempting to manufacture a rotor or other member simulating a golf ball, which would withstand the terrific stresses to which such a member is subjected in the use of the mechanism. Heretofore, however, no material had been devised which Would withstand the abuse to Which this particular portion of the mechanism is subjected. Previously to the present invention the best material found was molded rubber having approximately the same characteristics as the rubber used in the better grades of automobile tire casings, but even this material did not stand up for a length of time which would leave a reasonable profit to the operator when the machine is constructed to be operated at a penny for each stroke, which sum has been found by operators of this type of mechanism to be the most that the public will pay for the use of such a device.

The present invention comprises the building up of a laminated block 9, as illustrated in Figure 5, of cord fabric such as is used in the manufacture of cord automobile tires, with alternate layers of cords positioned with the cords thereof at right angles to those in the adjacent layers and the cords in closely superposed position. The block is then subjected to pressure to bring the cords into close lateral juxtaposition, and the block is then subjected to a vulcanizing process which unites the layers into a substantially homogeneous corded mass of resilient rubber. The block is then cut to the shape indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 5 and the end portions 5 and 6 are rounded off, as shown in Figures 3 and 4.

The cords give a rigidity to the member which closely approximates the feeling of impact when striking the rotor to that sensed in striking an actual golf ball, and, whereas, the old type rubber rotor seldom lasted thee hundred Strokes, rotors of the present type have been subjected to over two thousand Strokes in actual public use and are still found to be in almost perfect condition, a slight flattening of the portions of the rounded se' r fit by a golf club, said member being formed entirely of superposed closely adjacent laminated layers of cord fabric embedded in a substantially homogeneous mass of resilient rubber, alternate layers of said superposed fabric having the cords thereof positioned at an acute angle to the layers adjacent thereto said layers being positioned in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of; said member, and pivotal mounting means secured to said member.

HENRY E. HELLUM.

JOHN P. GLISH.

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